Remaining hostages still alive: Taliban

The remaining South Korean hostages held in Afghanistan are still alive, the Taliban said on Wednesday, while the army warned villagers to evacuate areas near where the insurgents are thought to be holding them.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf said all 21 hostages were alive despite the expiry of a deadline after which he had warned the kidnappers would start killing the captives unless the Afghan government freed jailed insurgents.

“Yes, they are alive,” Yousuf told Reuters over the phone from an unknown location. “But the danger of killing them remains. It is possible that they will be killed,” he said, without giving a time frame.

Meanwhile, a Seoul official said on Wednesday that Taliban insurgents have been in touch with the South Korean government. “The Taliban from time to time call us at the embassy in Afghanistan,” he said.